By Neal Daphne R. Dacion
Americans, British, Singaporean, Filipinos and all other cultures seem to have possessed the language trend. The English language has undoubtedly crept up to the tongues of the many. This language has become globally accepted by the different colors and has been used as a means to understand, defy, reconcile, or refute. We have been exposed to all of these from culture to cullture and to our own. Have you ever wondered how the language preceded us? How we began to cleave on it and for who started it?
It was during the fifth century (A.D.) when the three treacherous tribes of Germany namely: the Angles, Saxons and Jutes invaded the walls of Britain. The British then spoke a Celtic language, however the unwelcomed visitors vehemently drove most of the Celtic speakers to the west and north which are Wales, Scotland and Ireland of today. The Angles came from Englaland and their language was called Englisc – from which the words England and English are derived.
The invading Germanic tribes spoke similar languages, which in Britain developed into what we now call Old English. Old English did not sound or look like English today. Native English speakers now would have great difficulty understanding Old English. Nevertheless, about half of the most commonly used words in Modern English have Old English roots. The words be, strong and water, for example, derive from Old English. Old English was spoken until around 1100.
In 1066 William the Conqueror, the Duke of Normandy (part of modern France), invaded and conquered England. The normans brought with them a kind of French, which became the language of the Royal Court, and the ruling and business classes. For a period there was a kind of linguistic class division, where the lower classes spoke English and the upper classes spoke French. In the 14th century English became dominant in Britain again, but with many French words added. This language is called Middle English. It was towards the end of Middle English, the Great Vowel Shift started where there is a sudden and distinct change in pronunciation, with vowels being pronounced shorter and shorter.
From the 16th century the British had contact with many people from around the world. Thus, instilling the language to all kinds of people.
From around 1600, the English colonization of North America resulted in the creation of a distinct American variety of English. Some English pronunciations and words “froze” when they reached America. Some expressions that the British call “Americanisms” are in fact original British expressions that were preserved in the colonies while lost for a time in Britain for example trash for rubbish, loan as a verb instead of lend, and fall for autumn. Spanish also had an influence on American English (and subsequently British English), with words like canyon, ranch, stampede and vigilante being examples of Spanish words that entered English through the settlement of the American West. French words through Louisiana and West African words through the cruel slave trade also influenced American English.
Today, American English is particularly influential, due to the USA’s dominance of cinema, television, popular music, trade and technology. But there are many other varieties of English around the world. The English language has become part of our culture. It has undergone several phases of change and is yet being accepted. English like all other languages started with a mere scrap to being an overtly recognized one because of the sum of its influences.
We could tell that English language has put us to a great advantage, though there are still disadvantages but because the language has reached us, communication seemingly became not so ambiguous. It made a way to bridge the nation and the world. Because language is dynamic, we ought to expect another language that is yet to appear and influence us , moreover we must be thankful that this language has arrived to the extent that it touched the lives of those whom we seem far too unreachable. I say, kudos to English and to its contributors for change!
exegesis 